Regional cooperation for mitigating energy poverty in Sub-Saharan Africa: a context-based approach through the tripartite lenses of access, sufficiency, and mobility

Persistent low electricity access continues to plague Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and has been made more obvious due to the precarious nature of adopted energisation schemes across the region. The absence of resilient electrification schemes within most countries in SSA portends grave danger for the region. Regional cooperation (like the integrated European Union (EU) electricity market) can guarantee stable, secure, and affordable electricity supply across regions when properly regulated. However, such a template as is obtainable in Europe may be impossible to replicate within SSA owing to the peculiar problems, local controversies and very wide variation in regional electrification statistics that exist within the region. This research work pertinently examines the power pools within SSA and argues that improved regional cooperation, especially in tackling the issue of energy poverty and achieving “universal energy access (SDG 7)”, should be pursued on the platform of national energy sufficiency. This argument draws extensively from the geopolitics within the region by different actors and the impact of national interests on regional cooperation. While we do not seek to oppose regional cooperation in electricity trading, we emphasize the need for nations within the region to strive for some level of national energy security through carefully crafted policies and road maps that resonate with their local realities. Regional cooperation should strive to standardise electricity access benchmarks and facilitate technology transfer through existing or improved instruments rather than pushing for more integrated electricity networks

Efficacy of Quasi Agro Binding Fibre on the Hybrid Composite Used in Advance Application

The choice for natural fibre obtained from agricultural products is on the rise due to its solution to eco-friendly, environmental and improved mechanical properties concerns. Its abundant availability, low cost, emission reduction and adaptability to base material for composite make it a prime material for selection. This review explores diverse perspectives to the future trend of agro fibre in terms of the thermo-mechanical properties as it applies to advanced application in building structures. It is important to investigate the ecofriendliness of the products of composites from fibres in agricultural wastes so as to achieve a green and sustainable environment. This will come to fore by the combined efforts of both researchers and feedback from building stakeholders

Adoption Of Improved Fish Technologies Among Fish Farmers In Osun State

A shortfall exists between fish supply and fish demand in the country despite the introduction of improved technology to fish farmers. This led to huge wage bill on the importation of fish to meet the protein need of the ever increasing population. This prompted this study with focus on adoption of improved fish technologies among fish farmers in Osun state.Osogbo and Iwo zones of Agricultural Development Programmes were randomly sampled, from where a total of 168 respondents were simple randomly administered with questionnaires. However, a total of 150 questionnaires were obtained back with a response rate of 83.3%.Findings showed that more than half of the respondents are within the age range 41- 60yrs, majority are male, married and take homestead fish farming as secondary occupation. Majority obtain information on improved fish farming techniques from friends and family. The result further revealed that the following techniques were mostly adopted; reputable source of fingerlings, transporting fingerlings at cool periods of theday, clearing pond surroundings and feeding at morning/evening while techniques such as record keeping and keeping fish of the same sizes in a pond were not adopted. Invariably, it could be deduced from the study that homestead fish farmers in the area, averagely /highly use improved fish farming techniques. However, lack of finance is the major constraint of the homestead fish farmers, while the major external problem ispredation. The subsistence level of homestead fish production remains a problem to be tackled among the homestead fish farmers in order to improve fish supply in the country. Thus, Inputs such as feeds should be subsidised and made available to homestead fish farmers so that the level of production can improve, also fingerlings production should beencouraged. Each fisheries department of government agencies should produce fingerlings at a subsidized rate to the farmers

FISHERIES EXTENSION ACTIVITIES AMONG WOMEN IN EPE LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF LAGOS STATE

The study focuses on fisheries extension activities among women in Epe local Government area of Lagos State. A total 106 questionnaires were obtained from 120 randomly administered questionnaires. The result shows that majority of the women are sole owners of the businesses and they obtained fishing skills from their interactions with users; from observations and from parents while none obtained from fisheries extension agents. Large percentage of the women harvested fish in swamp and inshore while few harvested fish offshore, which could be a dangerous area for women. Result further shows that large number of the women has not had any contact with fisheries extension agents which indicate that women had not been receiving recent technologies from the extension agents who are the source of technological transfer. Moreover, the result also show that majority of the women are not aware of any material supports from government through the extension agents. However, if there is going to be an increase in fisheries activities of the women in the area, there should be an intimate relationship between the extension agents and women-fishers in the area. African Journal of Livestock Extension Vol.3 2004: 96-9

Use of information communication technologies (ICTs) by public and private extension agencies in Oyo State, Nigeria

This Study investigated the use of information communication technologies (ICTs) by public and private extension agencies in Oyo State. The result of the study revealed the relationship between the personal characteristics of extension workers and their use of ICTs. Age and sex were significant while marital status and educational status were not significantly related to respondents’ use of ICTs at 0.05 level of significance using chi-square and Pearson Product Moment Correlation (PPMC). The results also revealed that there is significant difference between the constraints faced by public and private extension workers while there is no significant difference in the level of use of ICTs by public and private extension workers in the use of ICTs . Furthermore, the study revealed that all the respondents make use of ICTs. This implies that extension workers rely heavily on ICTs for them to carry out their primary role (communication and education). It is therefore recommended that there should be provision of functional infrastructure. Collaboration between public and private extension agencies in the use of ICTs should be encouraged and intensified. Government should create and enforce policy environment that will bring about sustainable use of ICTs for agricultural and rural development.Keywords: Information, Communication, Extension, Public, Private

Use of information communication technologies (ICTs) among rural dwellers in Oyo State

The study assessed the use of ICTs among rural dwellers in Ago-Are and Eruwa communities of Oyo State, where ICT centres were established by the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (I.I.T.A). Systematic random sampling was used in selecting one hundred and twenty respondents from every household in the two communities for the study. Frequency counts, percentages, chi-square (X2) and Pearson Product Moment Correlation (PPMC) were used in analyzing the data collected. Results revealed that majority of the respondents were between 26 – 55 years of age, males, Christians, married and had formal education. Respondents use the following ICTs; radio, telephone, television, computer and video player. Majority of the respondents had a low level of use of the ICTs. Respondents listed the following constraints in the use of ICTs; unstable power supply inadequate finance inadequate source of information, lack of awareness and lack of technical expertise.The rural dwellers sampled had a favourable perception of the use of the ICTs. Result of hypotheses tested shows that significant relationships exist between age (r = - 0.039, p = 0.000), main occupation (χ2 = 66.359, p = 0.000), sex (χ2 4.489, p = 0.034), educational status (χ2 = 62.845, p = 0.000) and use of ICTs in the study area. The study also revealed that significant relationship exists between perception (r = 0.423, p = 0.000) and respondents use of ICTs. It is therefore pertinent that necessary infrastructures be provided, especially steady power supply, so as to assist the efforts of extension agents to harness ICTs in communicating improved technologies to rural dwellers in order to reduce their poverty level.Keywords: Use, ICTs, Rural dwellers, Constraints, Perception

Information cues of agricultural advertisements in Nigerian daily newspapers

The sudden appearance of some elites as new entrants into the farming enterprise necessitates the diversification of the methods employed by extensionists in disseminating agricultural information, as educated farmers tends to benefit more from literacy based extension materials including newspapers. Hence, the study set to investigate the information cues of agricultural advertisements in Nigerian daily newspapers. Information cue was investigated since it is the actual message or idea of any agricultural advertisements. The study was a content analysis of 1800 editions of daily newspapers selected through random sampling process from the editions published continuously in Nigeria from January 1, 1985 to December 31, 1994. Explicitly, a total of 200 days were randomly chosen and nine newspapers published on the selected 200 days were content analysed for agricultural advertisements. The result revealed that majority of the agricultural advertisements have Product prices and Location, Product utility and Product description while product capacity and product process were rarely used. Also, specific information cue were prevalent in the advertisements of particular agricultural products and services and there was no significant variation in the information cues of agricultural advertisement overtime. However, there were indications that farmers may likely obtain necessary information that may benefits them from the advertisements of agricultural products and services. Key words: Agricultural advertisements; information cues, newspapers, Nigeria Moor Journal of Agricultural Research Vol.4(2) 2003: 260-26

Constraints to adequate dietary intake among women: Evidences from Ekiti State, Nigeria

Chronic vitamin and mineral deficiency, also known as ‘Hidden Hunger’, is one of the most serious health problems confronting developing nations, especially Nigeria. Successive governments have implemented several nutritional programs such as school feeding program, mineral fortification program and supplementation with vitamin A capsules to combat the level of child malnutrition. Despite these efforts, the level of malnutrition cases has not dropped below average in rural and urban households. FGDs were conducted with women who registered at the Primary Health Centers  (PHCs) in each of the communities selected for the study. The selection cut across rural and urban communities. In all, three FGDs were conducted in Ekiti State (Ado-Ekiti, Ikere-Ekiti and Ikoro-Ekiti). Each FGD included 10-12 discussants randomly selected from the list of weekly attendance at the PHCs. Results from the problem tree analysis revealed that constraints to the adequate dietary intake among women included income, cultural preference, nutritional knowledge and practice.Keywords: Dietary intake, Constraints, Primary health center

POTENTIALS OF SWEETPOTATO IN LIVESTOCK FARMING: IMPLICATION FOR TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER

There has been decline in the production of goat meat, pork and beef during the 1996-98 period. The basic constraining factor is increasing cost of production associated with feeds and accessibility of maize, which is the major component of feed. However provision of alternative or complementary feed component such as sweetpotato, which is cheaper and readily obtainable than concentrate, will enhance availability of quality feed to accommodate expansion of livestock. Five goats on extensive management were used for the study. Sweetpotao peels were fed to the animals. Peels weighing 8.3kg that were produced over night were sole fed to these animals. The goats were watched as the feed on them without any difficulty. After about a year the first treatment was done a local variety of sweetpotato were peeled and the peels (less than 8.3 kg) were given to a group of five goats (different from the first group) on the same day that they were peeled. They ate the entire sample given to them and they survived. After about one month the peels that were dried for three days were also given to the goats and they ate them with no difficulty. About three goats and some poultry birds were given toasted granules (Spari) and they also ate. Some pieces of boiled sweetpotato were also dropped for about four groups of goats and they ate them. Therefore there is an increasing potential in sweetpotato for both human and livestock consumption. This calls for agricultural extension agents to create awareness on the potentials of sweetpotato as it is easy to produce and cheap to buy. Also, it enhance the transfer of technology, not only for increase production but also on processing and consumption in diverse forms for diverse groups. African Journal of Livestock Extension Vol.3 2004: 33-3

Content analysis of agricultural training advertisements in Nigerian newspapers

It is obvious that the use of newspapers is one of the ways through which literate farmers could access agriculture-related information and are acquainted with innovations in agriculture. This study investigated the content of agricultural training advertisements in three Nigerian newspapers: The Guardian, Nigerian Tribune and Daily Times. Using multistage sampling techniques, 240 editions of these newspapers containing 609 advertisements for five years (2001–2005) were selected. In terms of agricultural subsectoral coverage, 30.3% were on veterinary services while forestry services recorded the least advertisement (4.0 %). The Nigerian Tribune newspaper has the highest coverage of agricultural training advertisements 40.7% compared to the 34.7% and 12.2% for Daily Times and Guardian newspapers, respectively. The result also showed that majority of agricultural training advertisements (81.10%) were placed on the non-prominent pages of the selected newspapers. Chi-Square analysis of association between the categories of agricultural training advertisements in the focal newspapers showed that there is significant relationship in the rate at which the sampled newspapers advertise different category of agricultural training advertisements in the newspapers (p<0.05). Chi square analysis also indicated that there is significant association between the placements of agricultural training advertisements and type of newspapers (p<0.05). This implies that advertisement placement on prominent pages of newspapers is determined by the policy of print media organization which also varies with cost of advertisement. It is therefore recommended that agricultural news items should be given more prominence as a panacea for increased information source to new entrants, especially the literate farmers to encourage farming